Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I feed f/t and I don't know if you would notice this with live feedings or not, but this is something that I have noticed recently while paying closer attention to the feeding of my spider. If my spider is sleeping before feeding or just chilling out before feeding he tends to feed just as if he were any other snake. However if he's star gazing right before feeding he tends to strike like he has no idea what he's after. He rarely hits his target. He can be off by as much as 3 or 4 inches in any direction. He still seems to retain a solid appetite, but he just can't seem to find his food. Can't really say the wobble affects his feeding. Atleast not the way you would typically think. He just swallows more air than he does rats when he's star gazing. Usually I just drop the f/t in the tub and home for the best. I'd say he's a solid 66% in this situation.
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1.0 Spider Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pastel Ball Python
0.3 Het for Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pinstripe Ball Python
0.1 Bumble Bee Ball Python
1.0 Hypo Ball Python

Star Gazing is coined with such DEADLY ailments as IBD. As in boas and such which is typically FATAL.

SPIDERS have a wobble...that is part of the gene. It was not bred into it....it is just part of it like many Caramel Albinos can produce some kinked babies. Part of the gene. Other snakes may also do it, Womas may, Sables(Supers for sure may), and even Deserts may sometimes do it.

It is NOT IBD (Inclusion Body Disease), Stargazing is what we believe to be a viral issue where something jumps the blood/brain barrier and attacks the Neurological system which basically kills the animal. As an example, you could keep a ball python with a Boa Constrictor and transmit "IBD"(whatever it is) to the ball python and the snake will act loopy and lose muscle control and such. This is what we are generally talking about when we say IBD. In that case the Boa may carry a "retro" virus that does not bother it but is lethal to other snakes such as pythons. Never keep Boas with Pythons because the kind of thing may likely happen.

So, to date I have never seen a Spider with IBD. SUre, some may act loopey but I think that is a genetic motor skill/balance issue that gets turned up when they are excited and sometimes young.

SANTA
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

Thanks for the reply Kevin. I wasn't I new about IBD I just wasn't arare that star gazing was specific to it. I called it star gazing cause I guess it sounded like what my spider was doing. Actually it looks more like its doing synchronized swimming with its head it rolls back on its body and things like that. I don't have any boas and I bought from a reputable breeder so I doubt IBD is the issue. Have you ever noticed that when they're wobbling real bad right before feeding that their accuracy is more off than at other times?
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1.0 Spider Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pastel Ball Python
0.3 Het for Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pinstripe Ball Python
0.1 Bumble Bee Ball Python
1.0 Hypo Ball Python

Sorry for all the typos and stuff. I'm at work posting from my iPhone.
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1.0 Spider Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pastel Ball Python
0.3 Het for Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pinstripe Ball Python
0.1 Bumble Bee Ball Python
1.0 Hypo Ball Python

When they get excited they may do that..

SANTANANANA

>>Thanks for the reply Kevin. I wasn't I new about IBD I just wasn't arare that star gazing was specific to it. I called it star gazing cause I guess it sounded like what my spider was doing. Actually it looks more like its doing synchronized swimming with its head it rolls back on its body and things like that. I don't have any boas and I bought from a reputable breeder so I doubt IBD is the issue. Have you ever noticed that when they're wobbling real bad right before feeding that their accuracy is more off than at other times?
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>>1.0 Spider Ball Python
>>1.0 Albino Ball Python
>>0.1 Pastel Ball Python
>>0.3 Het for Albino Ball Python
>>0.1 Pinstripe Ball Python
>>0.1 Bumble Bee Ball Python
>>1.0 Hypo Ball Python
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

I was unaware of IBD, it sounds like a prion disease much like wasting disease in deer/cattle that is also known as mad cow...

Thanks for the info.

hey Kev, how about "McCurling"?
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Evan Stahl Reptiles
www.evanstahl.com

Stargazing=IBD
Wobble=Spider & *insert what ever else*
Cork Screw=Spider

Kevin,

As the biggest breeder of Deserts (until the fire) I never saw a wobble in any of our Deserts or Desert crosses (other than ones crossed with Spider). Coach me up on Deserts having a wobble. That would be news to me.

Chad

not one has any sort of wobble, so what is that comment in reference to? mine are desert x cinny, desert x albino het, desert x pinstripe and just plain ole desert. they look and act 100% perfect. is his mixed with something that might have caused the wobble? kevin should comment further on this.

>>Kevin,
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>>As the biggest breeder of Deserts (until the fire) I never saw a wobble in any of our Deserts or Desert crosses (other than ones crossed with Spider). Coach me up on Deserts having a wobble. That would be news to me.
>>
>>Chad

You've never seen one jitter? When they get excited or pissy???

Wobble is too strong of a word...they get jittery...I think it could be excitement.....

I did not mean to compare this to the Spider wobble....

Kev
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

I have always thought IBD/Stargazing has been associated
only with Boas. Has it ever occurred in Ball Pythons?
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Susan Sentman
SSNAKES Reptiles
susan@ssnakes.com

Yes, pythons can get it. Boas can carry it and not be affected, it will kill a python quick.